


Playing Enemies

by Perpetual Motion (perpetfic)



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Actually less violence than usual, Canon-Typical Violence, Case Fic, Fake Breakup, M/M, Undercover, but still totally gross creeper type in play, sonny undercover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-02-26
Packaged: 2019-03-22 23:17:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13774692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perpetfic/pseuds/Perpetual%20Motion
Summary: There's a creeper DA who needs to get taken down. In order to get it done, Sonny and Rafael have to play at breaking up.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For a fic prompt, which I did not realize was going to go full case fic. The first chapter only sets up the trope, but I promise, all sorts of fake-breakup fun is coming along.

"I'm just saying--"

"I refuse to listen to the end of that sentence," Rafael says, his smile bright. 

Sonny laughs and stands up from where he was propped up on Rafael's desk. "Fine. Be close-minded."

"I will," Rafael replies. He tips his head back, and Sonny presses a quick kiss to his mouth. "Be careful," he murmurs against Sonny's mouth.

"Don't worry about me. I'm at my desk the rest of the day."

"Famous last words."

Sonny chuckles and bends down for another kiss, cupping Rafael's jaw for a moment. "I'll be careful," he says. "Your place tonight?"

"Sure."

"Great." Sonny stands straight and gives Rafael one last, warm look before he turns and leaves the office. 

"Detective," Carmen says as Sonny walks by her desk. "Do you have a moment?"

Sonny glances up from his phone. Carmen's standing behind her desk, hands held in front of her like she's relaxed, but there's a sharpness to her shoulders that isn't usually there. Sonny takes three steps so they're standing close. "Everything okay?" he asks in an undertone.

Carmen's shoulders soften, and she looks relieved. "No," she replies. "A friend came to me this morning and told me she's been getting harassed by a DA."

"Have you talked to Barba about it?"

Carmen shakes her head. "I promised not to speak to anyone else in the office. She doesn't want it getting around."

"Got it. Did you offer to talk to me?"

"Yes. She's nervous, obviously. I mean, it's her boss. I told her to report him, but she said she has, and, well, HR's not always trustworthy."

Sonny thinks of the way he bounced precincts before SVU. "I get it," he says. "Look, I'm at my desk all afternoon, okay? Let me give Lieu the heads' up, and you have your friend call me in an hour or so if she can get to a private spot to talk."

"I'll make sure she can," Carmen says. She gives Sonny a tight smile. "Thank you." 

"It's my job," Sonny says. "I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

"Sure."

*

"Do we have a name for the victim or the perp?" Olivia asks after Sonny tells her about his conversation with Carmen. She's standing against her desk, arms crossed. Rollins is on the couch next to Sonny. Fin's leaning against the wall by the door. For a possible scandal in the DA's office, it's all hands on deck.

"Not yet," Sonny says. "But if she does call, I'm sure we'll at least get his name."

"A call-out in the DA's office? The longer we can keep her anonymous, the better," Rollins says. 

"You got a theory on which DA?" Fin asks Sonny. 

Sonny shakes his head. "Not really. I can name a couple I don't like a whole lot, but it's not for harassment."

"If he's a serial harasser, he probably knows how to cover it up," Rollins says. "He'll know who he can talk to and who he can't."

Olivia checks her watch. "If she's calling, it'll be soon. Carisi, take the call at your desk. We'll listen in here in my office."

"Got it," Sonny says, standing up. 

"And for now, none of us say a thing to Barba," Olivia adds. "I want something concrete before we bring him in. He's taken enough hits the last few years."

Sonny gives Olivia a grateful smile, which she meets. "No problem here," he says. 

"Aren't you supposed to be reluctant to lie to your boyfriend?" Rollins asks Fin.

"I'm married to a conspiracy theorist. There's no such thing as lies," Fin replies. 

*

Sonny's phone rings sixty-two minutes after he talked to Carmen. He answers on the second ring. "Detective Carisi, Special Victims."

There's a pause, then a deep breath. "This is Carmen's friend," a woman's voice says. 

Sonny raises his hand to alert Liv and the others. "I appreciate you talking to me," Sonny says. "Is there a name I can call you by?"

There's another pause. "Does it have to be my actual name?"

"No."

"Okay." She breathes in. "Mikala," she says. 

"Okay, Mikala," Sonny says, making sure his voice is measured and calm. "How about I tell you what Carmen told me?"

"Okay." 

"She told me she had a friend who was getting harassed by a DA. She didn't tell me your name or the DA's name or any details about the harassment. Whatever you tell me, I'll do my best to keep between myself and my boss for as long as possible."

"But you're willing to investigate, right? You're not going to say you're going to do something and then not follow up?" There's an angry thread in her voice, and Sonny feels a sharp grin take over his face. She wants to fight. That's great. 

"We'll investigate," Sonny says. "I promise you that. Did you confide in someone who didn't investigate?"

There's a long pause. Sonny waits it out. "I filed a complaint with HR and spoke to someone there. They said they'd speak to him about his behavior, but they haven't."

"How long ago was that?"

"Four months."

Sonny clenches his hand tight around his pen. "Okay. Have you followed up with them?"

"I have six emails I can show you."

"That's good. That's useful," Sonny says. He hears her take a deep breath and gives her a moment to compose herself. "But to show us the emails, we'd need your real name. I'm not trying to pressure you. I just want you to be aware."

"Okay."

"Can you tell me his name, Mikala?"

"What happens if I do that?"

"My partner and I will go to HR and ask for his file."

"It's confidential." Her tone calls him an idiot. Sonny doesn't take offense. 

"If you can tell me what he's done, we can use it to request a search warrant."

There's a long pause. Sonny listens to Mikala breathe and taps his pen against his fingers. "Can I come see you after work? I get off at five."

"If you're comfortable with that."

"Carmen offered to come with me when I was ready. He's done this before. I don't want someone else to get hurt."

"I'll be here," Sonny says. 

*

Mikala's name is actually Mariah. She walks in with Carmen, hand-in-hand. Sonny and Rollins put them into the comfortable interrogation room next to Lieu's office. Mariah's grip on Carmen's hand is tight. The tension in her neck and jaw as she waits for Sonny and Rollins to get to it looks even tighter. 

"It's Needham," Mariah says, the moment they're all seated. "Henry Needham."

"I've met him," Sonny replies.

Mariah gives him a flat look. "Believe me, I know." Beside her, Carmen swallows back a laugh, but the tone of it escapes. 

"Am I infamous?" Sonny asks.

"He's…" Mariah glances at Carmen. "What did you call it?"

"Loudly bisexual," Carmen says, giving Sonny a wry smile. "He uses the fact that he's bi as "proof" he's a good person."

"That," Mariah says. She loosens her grip on Carmen's hand by a fraction. "He talks about how it makes it such a good lawyer, being so open to everyone."

"I'm not sure if I'm more offended as a lawyer or a bisexual," Sonny says.

"He sounds like the worst sort of 'look at me' show off," Rollins says.

Mariah gives Rollins a relieved look. "Right?" She takes a deep breath, and the tension in her jaw loosens. She looks back and forth from Rollins to Sonny, and then looks at Carmen, who gives her an encouraging smile. "Where do I start?" she asks Carmen.

Carmen shrugs. "I don't know."

"We can make a list of behaviors," Rollins offers, "or you could explain certain situations you've been in with him. Right now, we're really just looking for information. We can put it in whatever order we need later."

Sonny doesn't say anything. Mariah is still glancing at him, but she's focused on Rollins now, and it's clearly making her more comfortable. 

"I think...behaviors first," Mariah says. "That's kind of how I told it to you," she says to Carmen.

"You did," Carmen replies, all open encouragement. 

"Okay. So. He's a break-up creep. If he finds out you just got dumped or left your boyfriend, he starts playing the really nice friend you should lean on."

"God, those are the worst," Rollins says. 

"The thing is, he's really transparent about _why_ he's being so nice. Like, he thinks he's not, but he's just--" Mariah shudders. "He's a Biden."

"A Biden?" Sonny asks at the same time Rollins sighs in a very knowing way. "What's a Biden?" He is not surprised at the knowing look Carmen, Mariah, and Rollins all give each other. He learned a long time ago in SVU that women always know the shorthand for harassment even if it's not their own terminology.

"You ever have someone give you a creepy massage?" Rollins asks him.

Sonny thinks about it. He doesn't miss how the three women share an _exasperated_ knowing look this time. "No?" he says.

Rollins stands and walks behind him. "Okay, pretend like you're working on something you're really focused on."

Sonny looks down at his notebook and opens to a fresh page. He starts writing Bible verses in Latin. "Okay," he says. Rollins doesn't move right away, but he feels the shape of her behind him. It's uncomfortable, knowing how close she is but realizing he's not supposed to notice. 

Rollins bends down so she can see over his shoulder. Her hands cup his shoulders and give him a loose massage. "Hey, what are you working on?" She does not shift to see his work better, simply stands behind him and gives him a small shake. "That looks like a lot of work." 

Sonny throws up his hands. "Okay. This is uncomfortable."

"Yup," Rollins agrees as she sits back down. 

"But why is it called a Biden?"

"You remember all those 'fun' clips of Joe Biden as Vice-President grabbing everyone by the shoulders or hugging them without warning?" Rollins asks.

Sonny feels his eyes widen. "Oh," he says. 

"Okay, he's up to speed," Rollins says, turning back to Mariah. 

"Needham does that," Mariah says, gesturing to Sonny. "He does the creep and rub, and he always tries to hug you or touch you in some way. I've told him to back off, and he leaves me alone for a few days, but then he always starts up again." 

"You complained to HR," Rollins says. "Carisi said you have some emails."

"Yeah. Hold on." Mariah reaches down and takes her laptop from her purse. She opens it and logs on. "This will take a minute."

"Carmen," Sonny says, and Carmen turns from watching Mariah to meeting his eyes. "How long have you been with the DA's office?"

"Ten years, but I've never worked for Needham. I've heard things here and there, but until Mariah talked to me the other day, I didn't have any first-hand experience to bring up."

"What have you heard?"

"He's touch-heavy. He has a gross way of giving compliments. He backs off if you tell him to, but it never sticks. The usual whispers."

"Anything hinting towards something worse?"

Carmen thinks. Mariah turns her computer screen, and Rollins moves her chair so they can both see it. Sonny lets them review the emails together. He's watching a slow rise of anger build up behind Carmen's eyes, and he doesn't want to split his attention. 

"A couple of years ago, there was an assistant--the one before the one before Mariah--" Carmen looks at Sonny, and she looks equally devastated and furious. "When she left, she sent an email to all the women in the office, telling them to be extra careful around him. He'd fired her, and her attitude had never been great, so a lot of us thought she was going to extremes when she described what he did."

"Do you remember any details from the email?"

"There was something about the closet in his office." Carmen stares over Sonny's shoulder, eyes narrowed. "I don't remember the whole thing. But something about his closet."

"I think he goes in there sometimes," Mariah says, looking up from the emails. "There are times I go in his office, and he's not there, and then I leave, and I go in later, and he's there again, but he has to walk by my desk if he's leaving or entering, and I never see him do either."

Sonny and Rollins share a quick, knowing look. Sonny looks back at Carmen. "Could you find the email again if you needed to?"

Carmen shakes her head. "No. I go through every two months and organize everything. Make sure anything I don't have filed in folders for cases is either filed where it needs to be or deleted because it's not relevant."

"Do you clear your sent folder?" Sonny asks. 

"No. It's my unofficial backup in case there's a long trial or an appeal. I can always pull an original copy of information if there's a question about my work."

"Do you remember if you replied to the email in any way? Sent it to someone else in the office for some reason?"

"I replied to a reply," Carmen says, the way her eyes light up showing Sonny she's on track with him. "There were a bunch of reply-alls, and I replied that I wanted my name removed off the list because it was just clogging my inbox at that point."

"Would that email be in your sent folder?" 

Carmen nods. "Yeah. It should be. Do you have a computer I can use?"

Sonny glances at Rollins. "You two okay?"

"We're doing great," Rollins says, waving her phone at Sonny. "I've already texted the tech guys to come up and officially pull the emails as evidence. They should be here in a few minutes."

"Send them to me afterwards."

"Will do."

Sonny stands and opens the door, motioning for Carmen to step out before him. He shuts the door behind him and turns to point to his desk. 

Rafael is sitting next to his desk, briefcase at his feet, and his phone in his hand. Before Sonny can figure out what to do, Rafael looks up, spots him, smiles, and then looks confused when he sees Carmen.

"Shit," Carmen mutters at the same time Sonny mutters, "Well, fuck."

Rafael walks over to them. "I'd ask if I ruined a surprise, but I can't figure out why you'd be planning something in an interrogation room."

"Where's Lieu?" Sonny asks.

Rafael eyes him suspiciously. "I don't know. I just sat down."

"Didn't run into Fin, did you?"

"You are doing a very poor job of convincing me you're not hiding something."

"I haven't admitted to hiding anything," Sonny replies. "You've only implied."

Rafael scoffs as Sonny spots Liv sticking her head out of her office, clearly wondering why Sonny hasn't made it to his desk yet. She spots Rafael and immediately looks resigned. 

"Barba," she says as she steps out of her office fully. "Talk to you in the other room?"

Rafael sighs and turns on his heel. "This is what I get for trying to leave work early," he mutters. 

Sonny gives Liv a nod of thanks, then turns his attention back to Carmen. "Come on, you can log in on my computer."

"Please make sure he comes into work with enough coffee in his system not to be a snippy asshole first thing," Carmen says as she follows him to his desk. "Otherwise, he'll say something snarky about being out of the loop, and then I'll call him a shithead and not feel bad."

"Call him a shithead," Sonny says. "He'll deserve it." He leans over to wake up his computer, then types in his password and sits in the chair next to his desk as Carmen gets to the website for the DA's office email and logs in. 

"This might take a few minutes," she says. 

"Take your time,' Sonny replies. He reaches for his coffee cup and holds it up so she can see it. "Can I get you some?"

"No, thanks."

He walks into the breakroom and stops when he realizes the Lieu and Rafael are talking. Before he can step out again, Liv waves him over. "What's up?" he asks.

"I've caught Barba up with what we know," Liv says. "Feel free to chat amongst yourselves. I assume Carmen is pulling up that email?"

"Yeah."

"I'll keep her company," Liv replies and leaves the room. 

Sonny pours himself a cup of coffee and glances at Rafael. "You want some?"

Rafael sighs and reaches into the cupboard with the spare mugs. "Might as well. Think we'll be here late."

"We've just started," Sonny replies. "Don't think we need the big guns just yet."

Rafael meets the grin Sonny gives him. "With what we're about to have in writing, I want to call a couple of judges and let them know they may be getting a warrant request tonight. If we don't move fast, whoever in HR is holding up the investigation could destroy information."

"Do you know Needham at all?" Sonny asks.

"Not really. He annoys me. I've kept my distance." Rafael looks down into his coffee cup like it's disappointed him. "I knew he was going through assistants, but I assumed it was his attitude."

"He sounds like a blowhard," Sonny answers softly. "Why would you assume he's a sexual predator?"

Rafael gives him a knowing look. "Thank you, Detective Carisi, for your sympathy and reassurance."

Sonny can't help but smile at the snark in it. "You want my whole speech on useless self-blame? It's pretty long, but I think it's on-point."

"Let me guess," Rafael deadpans. "You're Catholic."

Sonny laughs. "Oh, no, have I been obvious?"

They walk out of the breakroom together. Liv is nodding at something Carmen is saying. They both look up when Sonny and Rafael walk up. "We found the email," Liv says. She hands a print out to Sonny. 

It's a single, huge paragraph, taking up three quarters of the page. There are multiple sections written only in caps, and the swearing is extensive. Sonny reads it over carefully, making mental notes. She mentions the shoulder rubs and the feelings of Nedham attempting emotional manipulation when he heard she had broken up with her boyfriend. That matches what they've gotten from Mariah. That's a good sign. 

The mention of the closet is buried deep in the rant. It's one of the pieces in caps. 

_AND THAT FUCKING CLOSET THAT WE ALL DAMN WELL KNOW WHAT HE USES IT FOR. IT'S DISGUSTING BUT NO ONE LISTENED TO ME. I TOLD HR, AND THEY DIDN'T GIVE A SHIT._

"Mariah says HR hasn't followed up on her complaint," Sonny says to Rafael. "Looks like they failed here, too."

"I need to see Mariah's emails to HR before I agree," Rafael replies. "But I'd rather use hers for proof on the warrant. We need to find this person," he taps the paper, "and get her to give a proper statement. An angry, post-firing email is too easy to take apart."

"She was angry. She'd say anything to get him in trouble, and so on," Sonny says.

"Tech just went in to talk to Mariah and Rollins a minute ago. We should have her emails shortly," Liv says. 

"Good." Rafael looks at Carmen. "You okay?"

Carmen shrugs. "Sure. I'm really here more for Mariah. It just happened I had some background information to share."

"I'll need you to grab me someone to work the files on this case. If this email stays in, you'll be needed as a witness."

"Will you have to recuse yourself?" Liv asks. 

"Not sure. Carmen's not the victim, but she's still my assistant. I'll flip a coin on it later."

Fin walks out of Liv's office and joins the crowd around Sonny's desk. "Tech's finishing up. Mariah's pretty wiped. She told Rollins she's been holding this in for awhile. I feel like we've got enough to start with. We don't need to keep her here thinking about this right now."

"I agree," Liv says. She squeezes Carmen's arm. "You two can head out. We'll keep going here and let you know when we need you again."

"Okay," Carmen says. She stands and stretches just as the interrogation room door opens. 

Rollins leads Mariah by the arm, saying something to her quietly. The tech comes out behind them, holding up a flash drive as he walks over to Sonny's desk.

"You need me to pull something here as well, right?"

"Yeah," Liv says. She gestures to Sonny's computer. "Just the email here."

The tech sits down and gets to work. Rollins hands off Mariah to Carmen, and Sonny holds out his card to them both. "I know you've got my info," he says to Carmen, "but if you talk to someone else."

"Sure," she says.

Mariah takes the card and looks up for the first time since coming out of interrogation. She starts at the sight of Rafael. "Oh. I didn't--"

"I'm here to help," Rafael says. "Needham won't hear about any of this from me." 

Mariah looks at Carmen, who gives her a reassuring smile. "I don't care," she sighs, sounding exhausted. "This all just hit me for real. I want a gallon of wine and a bucket of fries."

"I know a happy hour," Carmen says. She gives everyone a nod goodbye and wraps an arm around Mariah's shoulders as they walk out of the room. 

"Okay, I've got the emails," the tech says a moment later. "I sent them to the printer, and I've got them here," he holds up the flash drive after he undocks it. "They're also on the server. I sent you a link, Lieutenant."

"Thanks," Liv says. "We appreciate you getting over here so quickly."

"Sure. You all have a good one." The tech gives them all a wave and heads for the elevator. 

Fin comes back from the printer with the emails. "There's some bullshit in here," he says. 

Liv takes the first email from him and skims it. "We are taking the time to make certain all aspects of your claim will be reviewed in their proper depth."

"While we understand your impatience," Fin reads aloud from another sheet, "please understand that the serious nature of your claim means we must be extra careful in our investigation."

"Is her full complaint in there?" Rafael asks. He takes two pages that Fin hands him and reads through them. "Inappropriate touching, probing personal questions. Lewd comments about other co-workers." He sighs. "Oh, yeah, some deep shit to take your time on, for certain."

"We find out anything on that closet?" Rollins asks.

Sonny passes over the printout. "It just says everyone knows what he uses it for."

Rollins reads the whole thing and pulls a face. "Anyone else immediately think voyeurism?"

"Yup," Sonny. Liv, Fin, and Rafael all say at once. 

"We need to get in his office," Fin says. 

"One step at a time," Liv replies. "First, lets see if we can get a search warrant for his file in HR."

"Someone in HR is covering his ass. Once we come in for the file, he's gonna find out and be on the defensive," Rollins says. 

"We can't wait on the warrant," Liv argues. "I won't make Mariah put up with more from this asshole than she already has, and we have enough information to make a pitch."

"We do," Rafael says, "and I agree about not waiting, but we'll need to be a few moves ahead when the warrant's ready. Someone will need to keep an eye on the HR staff and see who looks the most worried, and a distraction for Needham would be useful. Something to get him to ignore his phone and get him out of his office."

Rollins looks at Sonny and a sharp smile slides across her face. "Hey, Carisi, how's your relationship these days? Feel like there's something not right you could confess to a break-up creep as you feel sad?"

Sonny returns her grin. "Oh, you know Barba. He's a real asshole. I'm pretty sure it's over." He glances at Rafael, who looks completely unimpressed. "Wanna have a lover's quarrel?"

"No." Rafael looks at Liv, and he sighs at the considering look on her face. "But I can't argue that you're a distraction."

"Funny guy," Sonny says. 

"Okay," Liv says, standing from her chair and taking in the group of them, "let's take a couple of hours and get this hammered out. Fin, take the warrant; you write them fastest."

"Sure," Fin says, gathering all the pages of the emails and taking them to his desk.

"Rollins, see if you can track down the former employee from the email Carmen gave us. Hopefully, she's still angry and wants to say some things on the record."

"Got it," Rollins says. 

"And you two," she says to Rafael and Sonny, "figure out why you're breaking up."

"He's growing back the moustache," Rafael says. 

"It's gonna have handlebars," Sonny replies. 

Liv shakes her head. "Honestly, Needham probably won't need a hard sell given what Mariah said about what he says about you, Carisi."

Rafael cuts Sonny a sharp look. "Sounds like I missed something."

"Come on," Sonny says, gesturing towards the crib, "I'll tell you while we hash this out."


	2. Chapter 2

Everyone meets at the conference table an hour later. Rollins pulls up a woman's LinkedIn on the big screen. Fin hands Rafael the warrant request to review. Liv gives Sonny a questioning look. "So, what's the bad news?"

"He's tired of me waffling on whether or not I'm going to be a lawyer, so it was the job or him."

"I'm a bastard," Rafael adds as he crosses out a word on the warrant request and writes something over it. 

"It's extra sad because I thought we were meeting to talk about moving in together," Sonny adds.

Rollins snorts a laugh. "Wow. Going big, huh?"

"Break-up creeps like drama," Sonny says with a shrug. 

"What if he runs into you, Barba?" Liv asks.

Rafael slides the warrant request back to Fin. "I'll use my general dislike of Needham to pretend like I'm mad at Sonny."

Liv nods. "Simple. Dramatic. I like it." 

"Thanks, Lieu," Sonny says.

Liv looks at Rollins. "Go ahead.

Rollins points to the screen. "Irene Nowak. She's still in the city and still works as a legal assistant. I found the number for her office and left a message. I didn't give her any details, just identified myself as police and said I needed to ask her about a crime she might have witnessed."

"Smart," Liv says. 

"Thanks," Rollins replies. "If I don't hear back by noon tomorrow, I'll call back and try to get her on the line to get a yes or no on filing a statement."

"I like it," Liv says. "Fin, how's the warrant?"

"Barba replaced a couple words, but other than that, it's ready to go. I'll get it updated."

"I'll find a judge who will stay quiet about signing until the warrant gets served," Rafael says

"Speaking of," Liv says, "Rollins, I want you and Fin ready to go at eight. We'll walk in the second they unlock the doors. Carisi, we'll need you on Needham before that. Any idea what time he gets in?"

"I got his work habits from Mariah. He gets in at eight, but he always stops off at the same coffee shop on the way in. It's about halfway between us and the courthouse. He texts her sometimes offering to grab something" Rollins clicks her mouse, and the website for the coffee shop takes over the big screen. 

"That place is terrible," Sonny says. "It's all pre-frozen baked goods."

"Focus, Carisi," Liv says with a smile.

"Sorry, boss." Sonny gives Liv a quick look before turning to Rollins. "Mariah say what time Needham gets there?"

"Judging by his texts, usually no later than 7:30."

"Okay." Sonny thinks for a moment, staring into the middle distance. "I was up half the night sad about the break up. I got off the subway early to try and walk off some of the disappointment, and I ended up at this place." Sonny's face shifts, dropping into a sad hangdog. He curls his shoulders in and rubs awkwardly at the back of his neck. "Oh, hey, Counselor. I just. Um."

"Detective, hi," Rollins replies, pitching her voice a little lower than usual to better portray Needham. "You don't look so good. You okay?"

"Yeah. I mean. Well--"

Rafael stands up and shakes his head. "I can't watch this. It's too weird."

"You can use my office to make calls," Liv offers.

"Thanks." Rafael touches Sonny's shoulder as he steps around him to head that way. Sonny flashes him a quick smile, then turns back to Rollins, his character slipping back on. 

"I mean, you know I was seeing Barba for awhile right?"

"Sure," Rollins says with a sympathetic nod. "You seemed like a good fit."

Sonny breaks character. "You really think he'll say that?"

Rollins considers it. "Depends on his playbook. He might also go for some comment on how you used the past tense or try to slip something snide by you."

"Okay. Good to know. Throw me one of those?"

"Sure. Read me in."

Sonny slumps forward again. "Well, you know how Barba and I were dating?"

"Don't tell me he did something dumb like break up with you?"

"I don't know if it was dumb, exactly, but yeah. We broke up."

Rollins reaches out and touches Sonny's arm lightly. "Hey, why don't you get us a table? I'll get you a coffee. We can talk."

"I don't want to take you away from your work."

Rollins grins and punches Sonny lightly on the arm. "Nice. I like it."

"I sound good?"

"Yeah. The wistful bit is a nice touch."

Sonny drums his fingers on the table. "Yeah, that part isn't hard. I just imagine if Rafael and I actually _did_ break up."

"Awww," Rollins says, pressing a hand to her heart. "Listen to you."

"Aw, shaddup," Sonny replies with a grin. 

*

Rafael finds a judge, and Fin and Liv leave to get the warrant signed. "Go home," Liv says to the rest of them. "We know what we're doing tomorrow. No reason to stay any later."

They all say their goodbyes and split at the door of the station. Liv and Fin get into a unmarked car. Rollins heads for the subway. Rafael and Sonny get into the Lyft waiting on the curb. 

"I was going to make us something," Sonny says. "But order in?"

"I've already pulled up Postmates."

"Meatball subs?"

"Works for me." Rafael selects their usual order, then tucks his phone back into his pocket. They ride the rest of the way to Rafael's in silence, both of them tired and considering the next day. 

Once they're in Rafael's apartment, Rafael pulls Sonny close and kisses him. "I know this isn't going to be like some of your other undercover work, but still. Be careful."

"I will," Sonny says. He cups Rafael's face and simply watches him for a few moments. 

"What?" Rafael asks. 

Sonny kisses him. "Nothing. Just." He pulls Rafael in tight. "I don't ever want to actually break up with you."

"Good." 

Sonny chuckles. "Good? That's the best you've got?" He pulls away when Rafael sighs. "What is it?"

Rafael looks annoyed. "You joked that you thought our 'break-up,'", he makes his air quotes as ridiculous as possible, "was going to be a conversation about moving in together."

"Yeah? I thought it was a nice touch."

"It was. I just." Rafael's face twists, and he gives Sonny an exasperated look. "You sort of ruined my plans for the night."

"What?" Sonny blinks. The confusion clears from his face, and his whole face lights up as he grabs hard at Rafael's waist and presses against him. "Shut up. You were not going to bring it up."

Rafael laughs, his annoyance from a moment ago completely gone. "I was. I figured we're splitting our time between each other's places so much, it seems like time to talk about getting one together."

Sonny looks around Rafael's apartment. "You don't want me to move in here?"

"I am completely out of space for bookshelves, and your collection is as bad as mine. I was thinking, with the two of us, we could get a bigger place. Maybe three bedrooms. One for us, one for guests, and one for an office."

Sonny leans down until he and Rafael are touching foreheads. "Wow. You've been thinking about this."

"I have," Rafael admits. "Have you?"

"Yeah. I mean, not from a logistics standpoint, but yeah. Absolutely. Coming home to you every night? That's a big yes from me."

Rafael tips his head back so they can kiss. "So, after you fake out Needham, we'll look at some places and double-check when our leases end?"

"Yes," Sonny replies. He pecks Rafael on the mouth. "Absolutely."

*

Sonny's in place across the street from the coffee shop at seven. He doesn't want to risk missing Needham's arrival. The surveillance van is parked half a block down. They've wired him for sound just in case Needham says something. Sonny watches people walk in and out and slowly settles into the mindset of being just-dumped and emotionally fragile from the experience. His phone buzzes at seven-twenty, and he glances at it, one eye still on the door of the coffee shop.

 **Amanda:** We're heading out. Liv's hoping to catch someone who might come in early. You've got twenty minutes to work your sad boy magic before we get there. 

Sonny catches sight of Needham coming down the street. He's hard to miss, one of those rust-red redheads who stand out in every crowd. "Suspect spotted. Moving to intercept," he murmurs towards his chest mike. They don't have him wired for the crew in the van to reply because Needham knows their playbook. One glimpse at an earpiece, and he'll make tracks. Sonny texts Rollins before he moves.

 **Sonny:** On it. Good luck.

He puts his phone in his pocket and watches Needham enter the coffee shop. He counts to sixty and then crosses the street, making sure to slip his body into shape. He rolls in his shoulders, musses the back of his hair just a little, and tucks his chin close to his chest. He spots Needham the moment he walks in. He's in line and on his phone. Sonny shifts a few steps to the left like he's trying to see the menu and creeps his way into Needham's peripheral vision. 

Needham needs to approach him, Sonny knows. It'll feed into his ego. Sonny's planned for this, wearing a fuschia tie against a coal-gray suit and white shirt. The color demands for a double-check if you spot it from the corner of your eye, and Needham does just that. He does a triple-check when he realizes it's Sonny, but Sonny pretends not to see him, keeping his eyes on the menu and holding his sad posture.

"Detective Carisi!" Needham leaves the line to walk over to Sonny, his hand out. "I didn't know you knew about this place!"

Sonny swallows the urge to scoff. This is no hole-in-the-wall that you only hear about from word of mouth. It's a half-decent coffee shop on a busy, business-lined street. It's so average, Sonny's surprised there are no reprints of easily named paintings on the walls. He holds out his hand and makes sure to keep his wrist a little limp. "Henry. Hi. How are you?"

Needham takes the bait of Sonny's weak handshake and the way he's holding his shoulders. He immediately steps closer, his left hand coming up so he's clasping Sonny's right hand in both of his. "I'm fine, but you look a little rough. Long night?"

Sonny breathes out shakily and stares down at his shoes. "You could say that," he mutters. He looks up and squares his shoulders a little too hard, the sort of posture you take when you're trying to appear stronger than you feel. "Um. You know Barba and I are-- _were_ \--a thing, right?"

Needham's whole face goes deeply sympathetic, and Sonny hasn't seen such a layer of bullshit in a while. He's almost impressed. "Oh, Sonny, I'm sorry. You broke up?"

Sonny looks away, blinking quickly to make it seem like he's holding back tears. "I mean, technically, yes, but really, he broke up with me."

"That's too bad. You two really seemed like you had a good thing."

Sonny makes a mental note to high-five Rollins on her roleplay guess that Needham would go for the nicest thing to say. "Yeah," he says quietly, making sure to hitch his breath just after.

"Hey," Needham ducks his head so Sonny can see him. Sonny meets his eyes and bites his lower lip like he's just hanging on. "You look like you need to talk."

Sonny breathes in deep and gives an awkward shrug. "I mean, yeah. But I don't want to bother you. I know you and I have spoken a few times, but I don't want to lay my break up on you. Especially since I know you work with Rafael."

Needham waves a hand dismissively then replaces it back on Sonny's own hand, which he's still holding. "We're all adults. I don't work day-to-day with Barba, and you need a shoulder to lean on. I'm here. Let me help."

Sonny pretends to think it over, counting slowly to ten to make sure he sells it. "I'm not going to break your schedule, am I?"

Another hand wave, and Sonny makes a second mental note to let Rollins know just how hard she nailed the way this guy acts. "Please. I was going to be at my desk all day. I can take a little time to sit with you."

"Thank you," Sonny says quietly. He rubs his free hand at his eyes like he's trying not to cry and continues to pretend like he doesn't notice that Needham is still holding his hand. "Um. We should probably get in line."

"Get us a table," Needham says. "I can get in line. What's your drink?"

"Oh, I can't--"

A third hand wave, and Sonny memorizes the motion of it so he can recreate it and make the squad laugh later. "It's a coffee and a pastry," Needham says. "Come on. It's nothing. And, let's be serious, I probably make more than you."

That's not much of a brag from an ADA, but Sonny simply gives a small, shy nod, a coffee and pastry order, and lets Needham walk away first before he sits at a table. He pulls his phone from his pocket as soon as he's seated. No word back from Rollins. Nothing from Rafael, not that he expects it. They're on radio silence until Sonny says otherwise. Sonny switches to photos of Jesse as Needham gets up to the counter. He flips through them slowly, letting the happiness in Jesse's face play against the melancholy he's carrying for this role. 

"It's good to see a smile, but that doesn't look like a get-back-together smile," Needham says as he walks over with their coffees. He sits and folds his hands around his cup, his full attention on Sonny. But there's a falseness to it, a sense of pride that shouldn't be there if he was really focused on being concerned for Sonny and not silently praising himself for being such a good person. Sonny knows he only sees it because he's trained to spot it. He wants to punch Needham in the jaw for all the people he's hurt by playing them in their moments of pain and leaving them feeling like they should have known better when it shouldn't be a punishment to think people are kind. 

Sonny funnels that anger into the story of his fake break up and lets it go in a rush. "Rafael said he was tired of waiting for me to be a lawyer, and he didn't start dating me to be stuck with just another fucking cop, and he felt like I'm just wasting my time in SVU when I could actually be using my law degree like a sane person, and it--" He stops and stares into his coffee, slipping his voice into a half-broken register based off his voice breaking when he was a teenager. "When he asked me to meet at his place, I was hoping…" He looks out the window and holds his jaw tight. 

"What were you hoping?" Needham asks, all concern and sympathy, but that layer of pride sneaking around the edges again. 

Sonny covers his face with one hand, then drops it to the table. "We've been together awhile. I thought he was going to ask me to move in." 

"Oh, Sonny." Needham grasps Sonny's wrist without asking. "That sounds terrible."

Sonny shifts his grip on his mug so his smart watch hits the table and lights up. It's five minutes to eight. If Liv and the others haven't served the warrant already, they're on the edge of it. He needs to go bigger, make sure Needham will ignore any incoming calls or texts that might happen if whoever is covering his ass in HR tries to reach him. 

"I'm so sorry for you, Sonny," Needham says into the silence. 

Sonny takes a drink of his coffee, making sure to make the mug tremble a little as he lifts it. He puts it back on the table and fakes a jerk of surprise when the barista comes over with their pastries. The deeper he looks to be in his own head, the more Needham will work to get the information from him.

"They were out of cheese danish, so I got you strawberry. I hope that's okay," Needham says. 

It's an overreach, Sonny thinks. Maybe he doesn't like strawberry. Maybe he's allergic. But Needham's type of predator always assume anything that can be seen as "thoughtful" will get them a pass. "Thank you," Sonny says quietly and breaks off a piece. "It's good." It's passable. Exactly the sort of pre-frozen baked good Sonny had been expecting. Sonny eats another piece because Needham is watching and wants to preen in own niceness.

"Can I ask you an honest question?" Needham asks.

"Sure," Sonny says quietly. He leans forward a little to take up more space around Needham and hopefully steal a bit more of his attention. It's seven fifty-nine. 

"I don't mean to sound insensitive or rude," Needham says, and Sonny wishes he could roll his eyes at his obvious play, "but did you really see you and Barba going long term?"

There's a series of chimes from a clock somewhere in the coffee shop. Sonny pictures Liv and Rollins and Fin watching someone unlock the door of the HR office and imagines them walking inside, warrant held front and center. Every moment in undercover counts, but this is the most important one. Sonny's got to play this just right so any possible interruptions will be pushed aside because Needham's ego-fueled niceness will override any ideas that maybe he's about to be in deep shit. 

"I wanted it to," Sonny says, reaching deep into the space where he imagined the exact break up he's described to Needham. Rafael had had to reassure him a handful of times that he wanted Sonny however he could get him. Not Sonny as a DA. Or Sonny as some other type of lawyer. He was proud of Sonny's hard work, of Sonny passing the bar, but at the end of the day, he wanted Sonny at his happiest and most content, and if he felt that working SVU, Rafael wanted him to stay there. 

"Of course you wanted it to," Needham replies, and Sonny admires the way the tone makes it a leading question. It makes him like Needham less, but he can appreciate the skill.

"He's a good person, you know?" Sonny looks Needham in the eye, going for 'anime eyes' as Fin has described it before--eyes wide and innocent and sweet--"I mean, of course you know. You're a DA, too. You know why people do your job."

Needham basically puddles under Sonny's sweet look, and Sonny knows they've turned the corner. Needham's fully in his hands now. Unless his mother falls down a flight of stairs, Sonny should be able to keep his attention. 

"We care about people," Needham says, shifting his hand from Sonny's wrist to Sonny's hand without asking if it's okay. Sonny wants to bend his fingers back, then twist his arm behind his back, then lead him out of the coffee shop in cuffs. But he can't do that. What Needham's doing is inappropriate but not illegal. Sonny has to keep him focused while Liv and the others actually get the information on his illegal activities. 

"Exactly," Sonny agrees. "And working with Rafael, I've seen his softer side a lot. But…" Sonny takes a deep breath because this is the biggest lie he's told so far, and he needs a moment to be ready to sell it. "But I really didn't see that softer side a lot when it was just us."

"Was he mean?"

It's a perfect question for a break-up creep, Sonny thinks. It opens the door for him to explain how he would _never_ do that. "No," he says because he's not giving Needham an easy opening. "We could talk about a lot of things and be honest, but it was different than seeing him be kind at work. It felt like--" Sonny shrugs to build another moment to sell an even larger lie than before, "I don't know. Sometimes, it felt like he was following a script, you know? Not on purpose, but just, there were things about me he couldn't fully understand."

"And you thought he'd get there?" 

Sonny takes a drink of his coffee to stall the answer. It's eleven minutes after eight. There's no sign Needham's phone has gone off. Sonny can let this moment hold. Needham's watching him with eager eyes, ready to pick up any small slight and turn it around to let Sonny know that he deserves better. He deserves more. He deserves Needham to take care of him. "I was hoping," he says quietly, borrowing his inflection from the one broken engagement Gina had genuinely been hurt by. 

"I'm so sorry," Needham says, squeezing Sonny's hand. "I would never do that to you."

Sonny takes another drink of his coffee to make sure he keeps a straight face. He's stayed in character through a lot of shit, but having to stare Needham in the face as he spouts completely obvious bullshit is more difficult than he expected. 

"I'm not trying to get my foot in the door, obviously," Needham continues. "I'm just here to listen and help you."

It makes Sonny's skin crawl. He thinks about Mariah as he sets down his coffee cup. He's here to distract Needham so Mariah can get justice. He can keep playing this part for her. "I really appreciate that," he says. "It can be hard to talk about with the people I work with."

"Cops can be so phobic."

Sonny nods slowly, already knowing the faces the rest of the squad will make when they hear that on the tapes. "And my family…"

"You're Catholic, right?"

Sonny gives a rueful smile and pulls his Saint Michael medal from under his shirt. It had been a gift from Rafael a month after they'd started dating, and Sonny's family had immediately declared Rafael the best boyfriend he'd ever had. "A little," he says, swinging the medal back and forth.

Needman gives him a smile that looks genuine, but Sonny doesn't buy it. "You really have the odds stacked against you. Do you have anyone you can actually open up to?"

The door of the coffee shop opens before Sonny can reply. It's one of the cops from the van. He's dressed in business casual and easily blends into the general crowd. His arrival is Sonny's sign that the warrant's been successfully served, and he's cleared to go. Sonny's phone buzzes before he can decide on his best exit strategy. 

"Sorry," he says to Needham, giving him his best soft smile. 

"We're busy men," Needham replies, and Sonny wishes he could dump his coffee on the man's lap.

His phone is showing Rollins's number when he pulls it from his pocket. "Hey, Rollins," he answers, keeping the sad tone in his voice.

"Carisi! Where the fuck are you?! I'm ass deep in work over here!" Rollins yells the whole thing. 

"Sorry. I got caught up--"

"I don't give a fuck! Get here!"

"Okay, okay." Sonny ends the call and gives Needham a sad look. "You've been so nice, but I guess I'm late."

"Wait," Needham says as Sonny stands. He reaches into his suit jacket and pulls out a business card. "My personal number is on the back. Call me, okay? I want to know you're all right."

Rollins is going to have a field day with the fact Needham pre-writes his personal number on the back of his cards. "That's so nice," Sonny says, taking the card and stroking it before tucking it into his own pocket. "Thanks so much, Henry. This was helpful."

Needham stands up and opens his arms in an offered hug. "Of course. Come here."

Sonny's curious what Needham would do if he refuses, but now is not the time. He returns Needham's too-tight hug and leaves the coffee shop. He walks to the surveillance van, making certain Needham doesn't follow. When he climbs in the back, the two officers inside grin at him. 

"Holy shit, you are good," says one. 

"Seriously," the second one says. "I used to want to do undercover, but then I hear someone be good at it, and holy shit, I don't want that shit."

Sonny laughs and let them pull the wire off his chest. "Thanks, guys. I appreciate your help."

"We'll drive you over to your precinct," says the first one, moving to the driver's seat.

"What about your buddy in the coffee shop?" Sonny asks.

"We'll drop the van and grab an unmarked from your desk sarge," the second guy says. "We figured Needham knows what a surveillance van looks like, but an unmarked in front of a coffee shop won't twig his radar."

"Good call," Sonny says and nearly falls ass over head as the van pulls into traffic.

*

"How'd I do?" Rollins asks when Sonny walks into the squad. 

"Perfect," Sonny tells her. "He'd just bemoaned I didn't have a support network because cops are mean and Catholics are terrible."

"I knew it," Rollins says, holding up her hand for a high-five. "Fin and I talked about it on the way to serve the warrant. We figured he'd go shitty on cops and make some assumptions about your religion."

"Which of you guessed which?" Sonny asks as he sits in his chair. 

"I guessed religion." 

Sonny looks for Fin. "Where's the Sarge?"'

"In with our HR mole. She's pretty hostile to other women, so Fin's doing his calm, cool, collected thing at her."

Sonny grins. "Nice. Did you get the files?"

Rollins gestures to an inch-thick folder in front of her. "Needham's got a long list of complaints."

Sonny holds out his hands, and Rollins passes the folder. "Same mole been covering his ass this whole time?"

"Looks like. She started talking up Needham as a stand-up guy from the moment we walked in. She joined HR about a year after he joined up with the DA. Looks like he's groomed her to see him as a knight in shining armor."

"I hope a toddler punches him in the dick," Sonny says as he opens the folder.

"I mean, I could pull Jesse out of preschool for an afternoon, and we could try our odds."

Sonny laughs. "Thanks, but no. I'm sure Jesse would do a great job of it, but I'd rather just arrest him."

"Well, you comb through that," Rollins says, pointing at the file. "Irene called. I'm headed to her office right now. Liv wants you to stay put just to be sure no one can give Needham your name on this."

"Copy that," Sonny says. He watches Rollins leave, then pulls his phone from his pocket. 

**Sonny:** At my desk. Played my best sad ex.

 **Rafael:** I'm sure it was an Oscar-worthy performance. Liv's kept me in the loop. Think we'll have Needham in custody pretty quickly. 

Sonny grins at that and puts his phone on his desk. He starts reading through the file. It goes back years, the same complaints again and again. Early on, there's proof of mediation, but it fades away quickly. All that's left are complaints, and the same HR person noting the claims have no basis again and again. She's woven a story of false accusations based on Needham's caring nature. He's genuinely kind, and the women he works with, who have had to work so hard to be taken seriously, have misconstrued his intentions. The men are confused because open emotional connections between men are so rare.

"It's some pretty deep bullshit," Liv says as she steps up to Sonny's desk. 

"Sexual harassment is about impact, not intent," Sonny says as he flips back a few pages. "These people, they felt harassed, their reports explain why. It's a lot of people carefully explaining what the problem is, and this woman," Sonny flicks his finger against the signature at the bottom of the pages, "she's been overriding what they've actually been through for years."

"I know," Liv says, all sympathy. She sits in the chair next to Sonny's desk. "She came into the DA's HR office with fifteen years experience and a good reference. They gave her freer reign than she should have had from the beginning, and it looks like that's only grown. If it helps, she's currently falling over herself to explain her actions to FIn and digging her own grave at the same time."

Sonny meets her small smile with one of his own. "That's pretty good."

"And she's digging Needham's grave right next to her. She's already mentioned several gifts he sent her, and they all match up with dates on those forms," Liv says, pointing to the folder. 

"A bribery charge will get him disbarred," Sonny says with a nod. "What about his closet?" 

"One step at a time," Liv says. "We've got enough from Ms. HR that we can easily write a warrant for Needham's office to find proof of further improprieties. Once we get Irene's statement, we're good to go."

Sonny stretches and breathes out hard. "Okay. Good."

"I know it wasn't easy to sit down with him and lie about Barba, but you bought us the time we needed, Carisi. I've got a detail on Needham now, and they'll pull him in for questioning if he looks like he's destroying evidence. We've updated Mariah, and she's taking a couple of personal days to stay out of the way. The way things look right now, this case is going to close as quickly as it opened."

"Famous last words," Sonny says.

Liv laughs and stands, swatting at his arm. "Don't curse us. We deserve an easy win."

"We do," Sonny agrees and goes back to reviewing the file as Liv walks to her office.

*

"I'm recusing myself," Rafael says when he meets the squad for a late-afternoon meeting. 

"Do you have to?" Liv asks, and Sonny appreciates that she and Rollins and Fin all look equally disappointed. 

"Between Nowak's statement, Carmen being the reason we have it, Sonny going undercover to specifically act like we're no longer a couple as a distraction, and the fact we arrested a fellow Manhattan DA today, I have lost any chance of arguing impartiality. And, really, this case came together so cleanly, it's beneath me."

Everyone chuckles in agreement. "Who's coming in to handle it?" Liv asks.

Rafael shrugs. "McCoy's going to pull a name from a hat. Get someone from out in Queens or Staten Island to spend a few weeks over here. Honestly, Needham will likely plea out as soon as he can to try and save face."

"Well, we found a peephole and proof of semen in his jerk off closet. Seems he liked watching his assistants bend over his desk, so good luck to him with that plea," Fin says. 

"I've already heard from two other former assistants," Rollins adds. "Nowak called them, and they're coming in tomorrow to give statements."

"See?" Rafael says, holding up his hands in a casual 'who me' pose, "I'm not even needed. You could hand this off to a 1L from Fordham and get it taken care of."

"Oh, come on," Sonny says. "At least say someone who passed the bar and went to Fordham."

"It seems much below their talents," Rafael says. 

"Ugh. They're being cute. I'm going home," Rollins says as she stands up from the table. 

"Have a good night," Liv tells her, then repeats the same to Fin when he stands as well. "You two get home safe," she says to Sonny and Rafael.

"We will, Lieu," Sonny says as he stands. "Give Noah a hug for me."

"Sure," she answers and walks to her office. 

Sonny looks at Rafael for a long moment, feeling the smile fill his face. "It fucking sucked pretending like you'd dumped me."

"Good," Rafael answers. "I listened to the tapes this afternoon. I didn't like hearing them."

"Good."

Rafael picks up his briefcase and cocks his head at Sonny. "Do you need to do anything else?"

"Nope. Needham's in holding, and I'm free until morning. Lead the way home."

"Well, 'home,'" Rafael says, letting his tone carry the air quotes. "You're off on Thursday and Friday?"

"As of right now."

Rafael nods, very familiar with how quickly that can change. "I can work from my place. We can start looking at our options for a place to live. I know we've both got some time left on our leases, but we can at least figure out a price range."

They get in the elevator, and Sonny crowds against Rafael's side, security camera be damned. "Sounds great," he says. "Good way to finish off a solid week."

"A great week," Rafael says, looking up at Sonny. "Don't minimize what you pulled off today."

"How could I when you're here to remind me?" Sonny replies, and he smiles when Rafael slips an arm around his waist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> St. Michael is the patron saint of cops.


End file.
